persuasive but insincere talk that is usually intended to deceive or impress

"`let me show you my etchings' is a rather worn line"; "he has a smooth line but I didn't fall for it"; "that salesman must have practiced his fast line of talk"

note, short letter, line, billet(noun)

a short personal letter

"drop me a line when you get there"

line, dividing line, demarcation, contrast(noun)

a conceptual separation or distinction

"there is a narrow line between sanity and insanity"

production line, assembly line, line(verb)

mechanical system in a factory whereby an article is conveyed through sites at which successive operations are performed on it

line, run along(verb)

be in line with; form a line along

"trees line the riverbank"

line(verb)

cover the interior of

"line the gloves"; "line a chimney"

trace, draw, line, describe, delineate(verb)

make a mark or lines on a surface

"draw a line"; "trace the outline of a figure in the sand"

line(verb)

mark with lines

"sorrow had lined his face"

line(verb)

fill plentifully

"line one's pockets"

line(verb)

reinforce with fabric

"lined books are more enduring"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

line(Noun)

A path through two or more points (compare u2018segmentu2019); a continuous mark, including as made by a pen; any path, curved or straight.

line(Noun)

A rope, cord, string, or thread, of any thickness.

line

Direction, path.

the line of sight or the line of vision

line

The wire connecting one telegraphic station with another, a telephone or internet cable between two points: a telephone or network connection.

line

A letter, a written form of communication.

Drop me a line.

line

A connected series of public conveyances, as a roadbed or railway track; and hence, an established arrangement for forwarding merchandise, etc.

line

A trench or rampart, or the non-physical demarcation of the extent of the territory occupied by specified forces.

line

The exterior limit of a figure or territory: a boundary, contour, or outline; a demarcation.

line

A threadlike crease or wrinkle marking the face, hand, or body; hence, a characteristic mark.

line(Verb)

To place (objects) into a line (usually used with "up"); to form into a line; to align.

to line troops

line(Verb)

To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify.

to line works with soldiers

line

To form a line along.

line

To mark with a line or lines, to cover with lines.

to line a copy book

line

To represent by lines; to delineate; to portray.

line

To read or repeat line by line.

to line out a hymn

line

To form or enter into a line.

line

To hit a line drive; to hit a line drive which is caught for an out. Compare fly and ground.

line(Noun)

Flax; linen, particularly the longer fiber of flax.

line(Verb)

To cover the inner surface of (something), originally especially with linen.

line(Verb)

To reinforce (the back of a book) with glue and glued scrap material such as fabric or paper.

line

To fill or supply (something), as a purse with money.

line(Verb)

to copulate with, to impregnate.

line

Lineament; feature; figure (of one's body).

line

A more-or-less straight sequence of people, objects, etc., either arranged as a queue or column and often waiting to be processed or dealt with, or arranged abreast of one another in a row (and contrasted with a column), as in a military formation.

line

The regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery etc.

line

A series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person; a family or race; compare lineage.

the exterior limit of a figure, plat, or territory; boundary; contour; outline

Line(noun)

a threadlike crease marking the face or the hand; hence, characteristic mark

Line(noun)

lineament; feature; figure

Line(noun)

a straight row; a continued series or rank; as, a line of houses, or of soldiers; a line of barriers

Line(noun)

a series or succession of ancestors or descendants of a given person; a family or race; as, the ascending or descending line; the line of descent; the male line; a line of kings

Line(noun)

a connected series of public conveyances, and hence, an established arrangement for forwarding merchandise, etc.; as, a line of stages; an express line

Line(noun)

a circle of latitude or of longitude, as represented on a map

Line(noun)

the equator; -- usually called the line, or equinoctial line; as, to cross the line

Line(noun)

a long tape, or a narrow ribbon of steel, etc., marked with subdivisions, as feet and inches, for measuring; a tapeline

Line(noun)

a measuring line or cord

Line(noun)

that which was measured by a line, as a field or any piece of land set apart; hence, allotted place of abode

Line(noun)

instruction; doctrine

Line(noun)

the proper relative position or adjustment of parts, not as to design or proportion, but with reference to smooth working; as, the engine is in line or out of line

Line(noun)

the track and roadbed of a railway; railroad

Line(noun)

a row of men who are abreast of one another, whether side by side or some distance apart; -- opposed to column

Line(noun)

the regular infantry of an army, as distinguished from militia, guards, volunteer corps, cavalry, artillery, etc

Line(noun)

a trench or rampart

Line(noun)

dispositions made to cover extended positions, and presenting a front in but one direction to an enemy

Line(noun)

form of a vessel as shown by the outlines of vertical, horizontal, and oblique sections

Line(noun)

one of the straight horizontal and parallel prolonged strokes on and between which the notes are placed

Line(noun)

a number of shares taken by a jobber

Line(noun)

a series of various qualities and values of the same general class of articles; as, a full line of hosiery; a line of merinos, etc

Line(noun)

the wire connecting one telegraphic station with another, or the whole of a system of telegraph wires under one management and name

Line(noun)

the reins with which a horse is guided by his driver

Line(noun)

a measure of length; one twelfth of an inch

Line(verb)

to mark with a line or lines; to cover with lines; as, to line a copy book

Line(verb)

to represent by lines; to delineate; to portray

Line(verb)

to read or repeat line by line; as, to line out a hymn

Line(verb)

to form into a line; to align; as, to line troops

Origin: [See Line flax.]

Freebase(1.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

Line

The notion of line or straight line was introduced by ancient mathematicians to represent straight objects with negligible width and depth. Lines are an idealization of such objects. Thus, until seventeenth century, lines were defined like this: "The line is the first species of quantity, which has only one dimension, namely length, without any width nor depth, and is nothing else than the flow or run of the point which […] will leave from its imaginary moving some vestige in length, exempt of any width. […] The straight line is that which is equally extended between its points"
Euclid described a line as "breadthless length", and introduced several postulates as basic unprovable properties from which he constructed the geometry, which is now called Euclidean geometry to avoid confusion with other geometries which have been introduced since the end of nineteenth century.
In modern mathematics, given the multitude of geometries, the concept of a line is closely tied to the way the geometry is described. For instance, in analytic geometry, a line in the plane is often defined as the set of points whose coordinates satisfy a given linear equation, but in a more abstract setting, such as incidence geometry, a line may be an independent object, distinct from the set of points which lie on it.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

līn, n. a thread of linen or flax: a slender cord: (math.) that which has length without breadth or thickness: an extended stroke: a straight row: a cord extended to direct any operations: outline: a series or succession, as of progeny: a series of steamers, &c., plying continuously between places: a railroad: a telegraph wire between stations: an order given to an agent for goods, such goods received, the stock on hand of any particular goods: a mark or lineament, hence a characteristic: a rank: a verse: a short letter or note: a trench: limit: method: the equator: lineage: direction: occupation: the regular infantry of an army: the twelfth part of an inch: (pl.) marriage-lines, a marriage certificate: a certificate of church membership: military works of defence.—v.t. to mark out with lines: to cover with lines: to place along by the side of for guarding: to give out for public singing, as a hymn, line by line: (rare) to delineate, paint: to measure.—n.Lin′eāge, descendants in a line from a common progenitor: race: family.—adj.Lin′eal, of or belonging to a line: composed of lines: in the direction of a line: descended in a direct line from an ancestor.—n.Lineal′ity.—adv.Lin′eally.—n.Lin′eament, feature: distinguishing mark in the form, esp. of the face.—adj.Lin′ear, of or belonging to a line: consisting of, or having the form of, lines: straight.—adv.Lin′early.—adjs.Lin′eāte, -d, marked longitudinally with depressed lines.—ns.Line′ātion (same as Delineation); Line′-engrav′ing, the process of engraving in lines, steel or copperplate engraving.—n.pl.Line′-fish, those taken with the line, as cod, halibut, &c.—adj.Lin′eolate, marked with fine or obscure lines.—ns.Lin′er, a vessel belonging to a regular line or series of packets; Lines′man (mil.), a private in the line; Line′-storm, an equinoctial storm.—Linear perspective, that part of perspective which regards only the positions, magnitudes, and forms of the objects delineated.—Equinoctial line, the celestial equator: the terrestrial equator; Fraunhofer's lines, the dark lines observed crossing the sun's spectrum at right angles to its length—from the Bavarian optician, Joseph von Fraunhofer (1787-1826); Give line, from angling, to allow a person apparent freedom, so as to gain him at last; Ship of the line (see Ship). [A.S. líne—L. linea—linum, flax.]